Flies can make a patio almost unusable. How can you enjoy your outdoor space when insects are buzzing, landing on you, and circling your food and drinks? I learned all about how to drive away flies while living on a cattle farm. So, let me pass on some of my expertise to you! Here’s how you keep flies away for good.
7 Tips to Make Your Patio Bug-Free
These methods are the best I’ve found to keep flies away from your patio and kill any pesky bugs that won’t leave. By implementing these tactics, you’ll have a fly-free outdoor space.
Clean up the Area
Flies are drawn to messy areas because they offer food sources. So, it’s essential to begin by cleaning up your patio and yard to discourage flies. Make sure all trash cans are closed and sealed tightly. Remove any dead plant material, outdoor pet food, and any pet feces from your backyard. All of these things attract flies.
- Move trash cans away from your patio and seal them to keep flies out.
- Remove pet waste and dead vegetation from your yard.
- Remove any pet food or other food sources that are near your outdoor patio.
- Drain standing water so bugs don’t have breeding locations.
It’s also a good idea to eliminate standing water in order to keep bugs away. Mosquitos and some species of flies lay their eggs in water. So, it may be time to dig a drainage trench in your yard to help get rid of the fly population.
Light Citronella Candles
If you want to enjoy days, evenings, and nights on your patio without any flies buzzing around, citronella candles are the best investment you can make. When you light them, the candles release a natural scent that repels flies. I suggest ordering a handful of these citronella candles. Then, place them around your patio. Light them to drive away flies in minutes.
- Arrange 3–6 citronella candles in different areas of your patio.
- Light the candles whenever you want to enjoy time outside.
- The plant-based scent of lit citronella candles works as a natural fly repellent outdoors.
Citronella candles are all-natural. They are made from the citronella plant, which is possibly the best repellent to keep flies away. The smell of the candles makes it impossible for flies to sniff out food, so they avoid areas with a citronella scent. This makes candles a low-cost, super-effective, natural way to keep flies far away from your patio.
Try Fly Traps
You can eliminate dozens of flies from your patio without lifting a finger as long as you use a good fly trap. I’ve always had the best results with liquid-filled traps that attract flies. Fly strips and other sticky traps don’t perform as well and they accidentally catch beneficial insects.
- These fly-attracting traps kill off flies around your patio.
- Hang the fly traps from patio posts, trees, or the exterior of your home.
- Follow directions on the packaging for regularly replacing fly traps.
Hang two to four fly traps around your patio to catch the bugs. Choose out of the way places so the traps don’t become a nuisance. I’ve hung mine on outdoor lights and posts but you can choose to hang them from a tree or gutter if you prefer.
Encourage Natural Predators
To keep fly numbers low near your patio, allow beneficial bugs to make their home in your yard. Spiders, mantises, wasps, and even some birds will eat flies. If you encourage the right wildlife, you’ll have fewer flies to deal with.
- Do not kill outdoor spiders—most species eat flies.
- Several types of wasps and praying mantises hunt and kill flies.
- Birds such as swallows feed on flies.
Having a few spiders around might not seem like it will make a difference in your fly problem. However, one web-spinning spider can catch several flies a day. If you’ve got a healthy spider population in your backyard, very few flies will visit your patio.
Make Homemade Fly Traps
You can catch and kill flies on your patio easily using only ingredients and materials you have at home. Here’s my recipe for a super effective DIY fly trap
- Mix a few drops of dish soap with â…“-cup of apple cider vinegar.
- Pour the vinegar-and-soap mixture into a jar.
- Stretch plastic wrap over the top of the jar.
- Secure the plastic wrap with a rubber band.
- Punch 5–7 holes in the plastic with a pencil
- Set the traps in different areas of your patio.
Flies love the smell of vinegar! In fact, they love it so much that they’ll crawl into the trap through the holes in the plastic wrap. Then, once the fly falls into the vinegar the dish soap will trap them. In a few hours, you’ll kill off a bunch of flies.
Hang Mosquito Netting
You can use mosquito netting to block flies from entering your patio space. For this method, you’ll need to hang curtains of mosquito netting on all sides of your patio. The fine mesh will keep bugs out and create a cozy haven for you.
- If you have a covered patio, hang this mosquito netting on all sides to keep flies out.
- The mesh of mosquito netting is so fine that flies can’t get through.
- Once you’re inside your mosquito-netted patio you won’t need outdoor bug repellent.
I recommend the mosquito netting tactic if your patio has a roof. By adding mosquito netting on all sides you really can build an effective barrier against flies. However, it’s not very practical if your patio isn’t covered.
Grow Bug-Repellent Plants
I recommend that every homeowner grows fly repelling plants near their outdoor living spaces. In one step you can keep flies away and grow a gorgeous garden. Wonderful-smelling herbs like lavender, lemongrass, and mint drive off flies and mosquitos. So, you can enjoy natural aromas and get rid of flies at the same time. The best choices are:
- Lavender
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Catnip
- Mint
- Lemongrass
- Chrysanthemums
Aromatic herbs repel bugs for the same reason citronella does—the smell is so strong that flies can’t sniff out food, so they search elsewhere. Create your own peaceful patio garden with raised beds or containers. This way, there won’t be any flies to bother you.
Avoid Fly Repellents That Don’t Really Work
Not all fly-repelling tactics work as advertised. In fact, some common remedies aren’t effective at getting rid of flies at all. Here are false solutions to avoid:
- Flypaper
- Bug zappers
- Vodka or any liquid in bags
- Fans
Sticky traps and bug zappers are more likely to kill beneficial insects than flies, so they’re usually a waste of time. Similarly, solutions that involve open bags of vodka do not repel flies at all. Finally, suggestions for using strong fans to move air and repel flies don’t actually keep bugs away.
7 Ways to Eliminate Flies From Your Patio
If flies are constantly bothering you on your patio, kill or repel them with these tried-and-true methods:
- Clean up your yard to remove trash, food, and plant waste.
- Place citronella candles on your patio and light them when you’re outdoors.
- Hang liquid bait fly traps near your patio.
- Allow spiders, predatory insects, and birds to flourish—they eat flies.
- Create DIY liquid fly traps from dish soap and apple cider vinegar.
- Guard your patio space with mosquito netting on all sides.
- Grow fly repelling plants such as lavender on or near your patio.
Try using a couple of these methods to totally eliminate your fly problem. For a quick fix, start with a few fly traps and some citronella candles. In no time, you’ll be enjoying your patio again.
